One of Convenience
by jackandsamforever
Summary: Sharon and Andy are forced into a marriage of convenience to save her from going to prison. Can they fall in love, or are they just destined to stay friends who happen to be married?
1. Chapter 1

**AN** : Hi again! I know I left my other fic, "Special Kind of Hell" on a major cliffhanger. I promise to update that one soon. This idea wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it out. I apologize if it's something that you couldn't ever see happening, or if someone has already written one like this. I tried researching information on this subject, and it seems like it would work. Of course I don't know the law all that well, and there are lots of little things in the small print.

This isn't a story about the case, but of the lives of Sharon and Andy.

This is set after 3x11

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own anything related to Major Crimes.

* * *

When Sharon invited Andy to go Christmas shopping with her the week before Thanksgiving, she had expected maybe a few awkward moments between them, maybe an occasional arm or hand brush, and maybe had even secretly hoped for something more. They were just friends after all.

She had expected to get most of her Christmas shopping done so she could enjoy the rest of the holidays, she had expected to have a good time, she had expected to go home that night laden down with gifts and a smile on her face.

What she hadn't expected was to shoot someone. To murder a mob boss. To spend the rest of the night in the precinct giving her statement while Andy gave his in another room.

She definitely hadn't expected to get married the next morning.

XXX

Sharon sighed tiredly as she sat back in her hard, uncomfortable chair and pulled her glasses off to rub her eyes. They felt like sandpaper, and she didn't know when she was going to be getting sleep anytime soon. She had given her statement hours ago, but they had told her to stay where she was and that they would be back.

She was being treated like a criminal.

She wished she was in LA where officers she knew would be conducting the investigation, but she and Andy had decided on a whim to drive a couple of hours south to San Diego; just to get out of the city that they worked in every day.

Sharon checked her watch for what seemed like the 100th time and saw that it was well past two in the morning. They had closed all the blinds in her room so she couldn't see into the precinct or outside, and she was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

She laid her head down on the table and closed her eyes. She might as well try to rest her eyes while she waited. When she had given her statement about what happened, she had told them who she was. That she and Andy were both police officers, and that she was a Captain. They hadn't cared. That much was obvious by now; she hadn't even been allowed access to her phone yet.

As she sat there with her head on the table, the door _finally_ opened. She sat up with a frown on her face and straightened her hair as a man who she hadn't met walked in and sat down in the chair across from her. "I'm Captain Black. I've just been briefed on the incident. I apologize for how long you've had to sit in here, but there are some problems."

At Sharon's raised eyebrow, he continued, "We've learned that the mob has put a hit on you, but above law they're also trying to get you charged with murder."

She shook her head. "It was self-defense. The cameras in the st-"

The Captain held up his hand and interrupted her, "There were no cameras in the store. There were no other customers, and the lone employee has claimed that they were in the back and didn't see anything. In fact, the only witness to the shooting was your Lieutenant, Andy Flynn."

She sighed. Of course. "Then why are we still here? I'm sure Lieutenant Flynn has told you what happened, and that it was a clear case of self-defense." He shook his head. "He told us what happened, but even after both of your statements, I'm positive the family's lawyer will try to take you to court. They'll put you and your Lieutenant through the wringer."

Sharon leaned forward even further with her hands on the table. "You have to be kidding me, Captain. This is ridiculous! I want to talk to Andy." When Black opened his mouth to protest, she glared at him, using her best "Darth Raydor" look. "Now." After a moment, he nodded with a sigh. "I'll give you ten minutes with him."

She shook her head, her glare still in place. "No, I want you to let us go. If you're not going to arrest me, then you have no right to hold me, and you certainly don't have the right to hold Andy. As a Captain myself, I know the rules. No playing hardball. No lying to me. We don't need your protection. I. Want. To. Go. Home."

Captain Black blinked in surprise, then swallowed a little thickly. "Well we don't have enough to arrest you. Yet." He paused, looking at her intently, then said resignedly, "I'll go get your Lieutenant." He stood up before she could rant at him some more and walked out without another word.

She knew they couldn't say anything important in this room, so she stood up and shrugged her blazer back on to wait for Andy. As soon as he walked in, she couldn't help the small smile that stole over her face. He looked as tired as she felt, with his hair disheveled and his shirt untucked, but he was a sight for sore eyes.

Before he could say anything, she looped her hand through his arm and turned him around. "Let's get out of here."

"But-" he sputtered, a confused look on his face. She continued dragging him towards the front, where their badges and phones would be. "We can talk later, Andy. I'm not under arrest, so we're free to go." He stopped resisting and went along silently, letting her lead him without protest.

They exited the building with two badges, two cell phones and one gun, and stopped under the lights of the San Diego Police Department sign. Andy groaned. "I'm sure my car is still down at that damned store." She nodded, not ready to give in to defeat yet. "We'll hail a cab and stay in a hotel tonight. I need to call Chief Taylor and Rusty first thing in the morning, and you'll need to call Provenza and update him about the situation."

He nodded tiredly and pulled his phone out to request an Uber. They stood in silence as they waited, neither of them wanted to be out in the open, or to discuss anything that happened where someone could be listening. For all she knew, someone was targeting her at that moment.

Five minutes later, a Prius (shocking) pulled up to the curb. The driver got out and opened the door for them, then closed it after she slid in after Andy. After he told the driver their destination, she scooted closer to Andy and put her head on his shoulder. She was emotionally and physically exhausted, and she had just brought this whole mess down upon both of them. Obviously it hadn't been on purpose. She hadn't set out that day to kill someone.

But somehow, someway it had happened; and now Andy was involved too.

She smiled a little when Andy allowed his head to rest on hers, and was almost asleep when they pulled in front of their hotel. After paying the Uber driver, they trudged inside tiredly, not even caring that there was only one room left (because of course there was). As they fell into the one bed, neither one of them bothering to take anything off besides their shoes and her glasses, Sharon's last thought was about how she hoped they would be able to get out of this mess soon.

Hopefully before Christmas.

XXX

Sharon awoke to sunlight streaming into the room and Andy's soft voice coming from the corner as he talked to someone she assumed to be Provenza. She yawned and tried to straighten her hair a little as she raised her arms above her head. She was still in the exact place she had fallen asleep in, apparently not moving once the entire night.

She started listening to Andy's side of the conversation, not quite awake enough to make her own phone calls. He hadn't noticed that she was awake, as he was sitting in a chair facing the open window.

"No, no, no, no, Provenza. No way. She would never go for that."

"Of course I do."

"I know it would protect both of us and our interests."

"Are you sure that's even legal?"

Sharon stopped listening and slid her glasses on. Andy was only confusing her, and she hated being confused before she had her morning caffeine. As she walked over to the coffee maker and dumped in the grounds (she really wanted tea, but coffee was her only choice), she turned a couple minutes later to see that Andy had ended his phone call and was sitting there staring out the window with a contemplative look on his face.

"Andy?" She asked softly, hoping not to startle him.

He jumped a little anyway, then turned to her with a look that she couldn't decipher.

"What's going on?"

He cleared his throat. "I just had an interesting conversation with Provenza. He has an idea." When he didn't continue, she put her hands on her hips and sighed. "Out with it, Andy."

He scratched his neck, obviously looking for something to do with his hands,"Well..uh..you see. He thinks we..uh..shouldgetmarried."

She was glad she wasn't drinking anything, or it would have ended up all over the floor. After a few uncomfortable beats, she said, "And why does the good Lieutenant think that?"

Andy stood up and approached her, his hair even more disheveled than last night. "Well..uh..since it's a mob boss' death we're dealing with here, they'll probably make sure that the case will go to trial, and add to the fact that I'm the only witness..." He paused, grimacing, as if the last sentence was causing him actual pain to say. "...If I married you, I wouldn't have to testify against you. Then they wouldn't have a case."

She stood in stunned silence for countless seconds. He had a point. A damn good one too.

No way could she allow him to do this for her.

She shook her head. "No way, Andy. We'll find another way."

He stepped closer. "I didn't think it was a good idea at first either, but it makes sense. They'll make me testify and use every word I say look bad for you. Those damn lawyers are good at making people and situations look worse than they are. Assholes."

She turned her back on him and poured herself a cup of coffee with shaking hands. She didn't want her second marriage to be one of convenience. She didn't want to be pitied or felt sorry for. She wanted it to be for love. Something she never had in her first marriage.

But what other choice did she have?

It was either let Andy marry her, or take a chance that the case never goes to trial. But could she really take that chance? The mob had connections. She could draw a judge who was paid off by the them to sentence her to life in prison or worse.

Why was she even hesitating?

Because she was beginning to have feelings for the man who was currently standing in front of her with a wrinkled shirt and hair sticking up every which way. She didn't know when these "feelings" had started, but she wanted a chance to find out where those feelings went. She wasn't sure if that would happen if they got married.

Before she could say anything else, Andy stepped even closer, his voice quiet."I know this is a lot to take in. I'm willing to do it if you are. I want to protect you, and if we have to get married for me to do that, then I'm Ok with that."

She felt tears well up in her eyes and quickly turned back around to put some creamer in her coffee. Anything to avoid letting him see her cry. Now wasn't the time for that. She took a long drink of her now cooled coffee and turned to face him, erecting her vulnerable walls up once again. "You realize there isn't a statute of limitations on murder, right? We could never get divorced."

He nodded, "I know that, Captain. I still want to do it."

She felt tears well up again, but she ignored them and looked up at him. She couldn't think of any other option that didn't include going into the Witness Protection Program. "Ok, Andy. Ok."

She could see him almost sag with the burden of what they were about to do.

"Before we do anything, I need to inform Chief Taylor of the situation."

He nodded, avoiding eye-contact. "I'm going to go take a quick shower."

She stepped aside as he passed her, trying not to think about how she was probably going to be married to him within the next hour or so, and pulled out her phone to call her supervisor.

She wasn't looking forward to this conversation.

Or the one with Rusty.

XXX

Twenty minutes later, Andy walked out freshly showered to find Sharon sitting in the same chair he had vacated earlier. She wasn't talking on her phone or doing anything else besides staring out the window.

"Captain?"

After a few moments, she turned her head to look at him. "Andy, if we're going to be married, then you need to call me Sharon."

He nodded dumbly, not wanting to disturb the odd calm that had permeated the room. When she didn't say anything further, he cleared his throat. He really wanted to know what she was thinking.

"How..did it go with the Chief?"

She hummed a little, a close mouthed smile appearing on her face. "About as well as could be expected."

He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Yelling. There was a lot of yelling."

Andy rolled his eyes. "It's not like it's your fault that ol' Tiny tried to kill you."

She nodded in agreement. "He reluctantly approved us to go ahead with our plan. He told me in no uncertain terms that we had to be back to work tomorrow, and that if this "marriage" affected the team in any way, he would transfer you to another division."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she held up a hand. "Don't worry, you know he's all bark and no bite."

"Did it go any better with the kid?" Andy folded his arms and leaned against the TV stand; a picture of calm on the outside when in reality it was like a war zone inside.

She sighed. "He understands. We'll just leave it at that."

"That good, huh?"

When she didn't answer, he looked down at his wrinkly clothes from the day before. "If we're going to get married, don't you think we should at least dress nicely?"

She rubbed her neck tiredly and sat back in the chair. "Let's just get it over with, Andy."

"Oh, uh. Ok. Well I called the courthouse and made an appointment for noon today. Apparently they aren't very busy at the moment. We'll have to get our license, then they'll perform the ceremony."

She closed her eyes and nodded.

He watched her for a few more moments, the burden of what they were about to do obviously weighing heavily on her, then went over to the hotel phone to call the front office.

If he was going to get married, he could at least shave.

XXX

Two hours later found them standing in front of a judge about to be confirmed to be married. She was terrified, but was doing her best not to show it. Not only had they "bought" a witness, but they had purchased a pair of simple gold bands so they had something to exchange during the "ceremony".

After the rings were exchanged and the "I dos" had been said, the judge confirmed them married.

They weren't even asked to kiss.

As they signed their marriage certificate, she couldn't believe what they had just done. No friends, no family. Just them, the judge and the witness.

How were they going to make this work?

* * *

So does this sound like something you guys would want to read? I'm not sure if there's interest. If there is, please review and let me know. Again, this will be about Sharon and Andy trying to navigate married life, not about the case that go them there. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** So I debated whether or not I should post this on a holiday weekend. In fact, I was going to wait until Tuesday, but I figured I've already made you guys wait a week, which is already too long. I apologize for my slow writing, but real life is a beast with a teething baby. *sigh* I really hope this won't disappoint, especially after all the awesome feedback from the first chapter. It's always hard to meet people's expectations, but I did my best.

Remember, this is going to be a slowww burn kind of story. ;)

* * *

After they left the courthouse, they decided to go to lunch to discuss what they would do now that they found themselves married. The entire situation was surreal to Sharon. Kind of like she was dreaming and _really_ needed to wake up. Because five years ago, if someone would have told her she'd be marrying Andy Flynn so he could keep her from going to prison, she would have laughed in their face.

She wasn't an impulsive person; she was meticulous, and planned things ahead of time. Hell, she even had a mini day planner in her purse that was filled with events and meetings. What they just did in that courthouse probably counted as the most foolhardy thing she had ever done. And it wasn't even close. What the hell were they doing? What the hell was _he_ thinking? She didn't understand why he would willingly give away a future where he could never marry anyone else.

A hand on her arm broke her away from her troubling thoughts. "Sharon, you're a million miles away."

She blinked and tried to smile as she focused on him. "I'm sorry. We're you saying something?" They were seated inside a little cafe that had been recommended by their Uber driver, but she hadn't done anything besides pick at her food and ignore Andy. He shook his head and took a drink out of his bottle of water. "Not really. I just hoped to discuss some specifics before we head back home."

She coughed a little in nervousness and tried to cover it up by stabbing her fork in her salad and spearing a tomato, then sticking it in her mouth. When she raised her eyebrows in question and started chewing, he sighed. "Like if we're planning on doing or changing anything now that we're...married." At her look of fake confusion (she really just didn't feel like talking about "specifics"), he explained further, "Am I gonna just live in my place and you in yours or do you want to find a place together? Are we gonna keep these rings on?" He held up his left hand to reiterate his question. The gold band looked good with his skin tone; his Italian heritage was definitely a plus in her book.

She picked up her fork again and twirled it in her fingers. "I don't know, I don't know. This is all so..so..odd to me, Andy. I don't feel like this is real...how can you be so calm about this?" Especially since he was the one who was hot-headed and rarely thought things through. He shrugged and took another drink of his water. "We did what needed to be done. Nothing has to change if you don't want it to. We can go on as colleagues and never mention that we're married, or we can live together...", when her eyebrows rose exponentially higher, he held his hands up to placate her, "...I don't mean like you're thinking. We could be roommates. Share the bills, eat meals together. Those kinds of things."

She bit her lip, "I don't think Rusty would approve, and my condo isn't big enough. Your house is too far away." She knew she was just making excuses. They could make it work if they really tried. A faint look of disappointment crossed his face before he schooled his features and looked down to pick up his sandwich. "Ok, yeah. So option A it is." Sharon tried to remember what option "A" was, and closed her eyes when she realized that she had basically told him that she wanted nothing to do with him. That they were colleagues and that was it. Which was so far from the truth it was laughable. She needed to treat him better than this. Hell, after what he'd done for her, he deserved much more than she was giving him. She reached across the table and touched the back of his hand. "Wait, I didn't say that either." When she didn't say anything more, his eyebrows narrowed in confusion. "O...kay. What _did_ you say then?"

"I can deal with Rusty, he'll have to live with it, but your house really is too far away." She couldn't believe she was going to suggest this. "I think we should find a place together. A place with at least three bedrooms. I like your roommate idea." There she went again, saying something before really thinking it out. He was rubbing off on her. A wide smile lit up his face.

She sighed, he really was a beautiful man. Now that she was "married" to him, she had found herself thinking things like that more often in just the last few hours. She was in big trouble.

"Great. And these?" He held up his left hand again and wiggled his fingers.

She shrugged. "I don't mind keeping them on if you don't. It keeps up appearances, makes it look more official to anyone who cares about that kind of thing."

"I don't mind either." Apparently satisfied with their conversation for the moment, he picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth before looking at her again. "Are you ready to head home?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm not looking forward to facing the rest of the team or Rusty, but I'm ready to get out of San Diego. Let's go." She stood up and grabbed her purse and lead the way towards the door, Andy trailing a couple of steps behind after throwing a few dollars on the table for the tip. They called for another Uber to take them to his car down at the crime scene, and they rode in somewhat comfortable silence in the back of a Honda Accord.

Her thoughts turned to Rusty and how hard it was going to be to convince him that she still had his best interests at heart. He wasn't going to be happy about moving, or her marriage to Andy, but he didn't have a choice. Andy made the biggest sacrifice, she could make some small ones.

This was her life now. Rusty _and_ Andy were her life now.

XXX

They finally made it home to LA later that afternoon. She was tired, like she hadn't slept at all the night before. The stress of her situation was getting to her. She felt like she needed to take a bath and burn the clothes she was wearing, then curl up in her warm bed (alone) and sleep for two days. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen.

Andy pulled his car in front of her condo and cleared his throat. "Um..I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?" He looked so uncertain, like a lost little boy, and she didn't blame him. She didn't really know how to treat this situation either. Sharon reached over and squeezed his arm lightly. "Of course." When she couldn't think of anything else to say that wouldn't open a can of worms, she opened the door and stepped out. Before she closed it, she leaned down and gave him a small smile. "Thank you again, Andy. I don't really have the right words, but just know that I'm so very grateful for what you did."

He leaned over the center console so he could see her better. "You're welcome. Now stop thanking me, dammit." His voice sounded serious, but she could see in his brown eyes that he was teasing her. Sharon just shook her head with a smile and shut the door so he could leave. As she watched him pull away from the curb, her smile slowly melted off her face as she remembered that she had to go have that conversation with Rusty now.

XXX

"Married? Like..married married? You didn't tell me that when we talked on the phone. Just that you had something to tell me. Why?!" Rusty ran a hand through his hair angrily, then stood and started pacing in front of Sharon, who was seated on the couch in her living room. She had done her best to explain what had happened down in San Diego, but as soon as she had gotten to the marriage part of her story, he had stood up with a horrified expression on his face.

"No, no no no no no no no. This is not happening. I can't believe you didn't tell me!" He stopped in front of her, a pleading expression on his face. "You guys are barely friends, and now you're married?! Like..oh my G.." He trailed off and plopped down next to her. Seemingly unable to to continue. She had let him rant, but now it was her turn to talk.

"Rusty. I already explained to you why we had to do this." She twisted her hands in her lap, her ring glinting in the sunlight streaming in from the sliding glass doors. The glint caught his eye and he rolled his eyes accordingly. "You're even wearing rings? Seriously? Are you guys gonna be like _living_ together? Are you gonna act like you're actually married?"

Sharon cleared her throat. "Not exactly..but..we're going to find a place that we can all live in together. Like roommates. Not like you're thinking." Rusty banged his head on the back of the couch and closed his eyes. "Oh yeah..that sounds just great. We'll be a perfect little family." The sarcasm dripped from his words, but Sharon chose to ignore it. She was done arguing with him about it.

"Whether you agree with our decision or not, you don't have a choice in the matter. I suggest you get a better attitude, and I expect you to treat Andy with respect. He did this to keep me out of _prison._ Do you understand that? If I would have gone to prison, what would have happened to you? Hmm?" He sat there for a couple of minutes, then turned his head and looked at her with apologetic eyes and sighed. "Look, you're right. I'm sorry I overreacted. Things are finally going well, and I just don't want them to change."

She nodded in understanding and put her hand on his arm. "It's a necessary change though, Rusty. Ever since I pulled the trigger on my gun, things had to change. If you give it a chance though, sometimes change can be for the better." He was silent for a few moments, then reluctantly agreed, "I know. Just...give me a few days on this. I..I need to like, think it over more." Sharon reached over and gave him a short hug, then stood up. "I'm going to bed, its been a long twenty-four hours." She watched him nod absently with a faraway look on his face. "Night, Sharon."

As she laid in bed twenty minutes later willing her tired body to fall asleep (it was only nine pm after all), her phone beeped, indicating that she had a text message. She rolled over and squinted at her bright screen. It was from Andy:

 _ **How did it go with the Kid?**_

She groaned out loud and replied: _Not so great. He's very...scared and angry about it all. We can discuss it more tomorrow._

When he didn't reply for a couple of minutes, she assumed he was done talking, but as soon as she set her phone down, it beeped again. She picked it back up and read his message:

 **I'm sorry I wasn't there. Although it probably wouldn't have helped. If you ever want me to sit in on a discussion with him, let me know. I'm in this too.**

He was right. Andy had placed himself firmly in the middle of them. Now he had to learn how to deal with Rusty as well. Not tonight. Probably not even next month; but eventually. She quickly typed her reply:

 _I appreciate that, and I'm sure I'll take you up on that offer eventually. I'm going to bed now, I'm exhausted. See you tomorrow. Night. :)_

He never replied, and as she drifted off to sleep, she found herself looking forward to seeing her new "husband" at work the next day.

XXX

Sharon walked out of the elevator towards the murder room with her back straight and her shoulders squared. She didn't know what to expect. Would the entire team stare at her and ask awkward questions, or would they tease both her and Andy constantly? She honestly didn't know which one she wanted less. As she made her way to her office, she stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the room when she saw that that her now ex-husband, Jackson Raydor was sitting in her office. This was _not_ what she needed today.

She turned to where her team was sitting quietly, way too quietly if you asked her. When she opened her mouth, Andy interrupted her from his desk behind her. "Jack was hired by Tiny's family yesterday." She turned around to face Andy, who shrugged when she gave him an annoyed look. He leaned forward in his chair and said in a low voice, "I don't think he knows that we got married." Then he leaned back and crossed his arms and said in a louder voice, a smug expression on his face, "It should make you feel a little better that you're going to ruin his day." He smiled and looked over at Provenza who was trying to listen to their conversation from across the room. "Hey Provenza, mind your own damn business."

Provenza scowled. "Well when you're broadcasting it across the room, it's kind of hard to ignore it." Andy scowled back and opened his mouth to respond, but Sharon cut him off. "Andy, please, not today." Andy closed his mouth and nodded. He knew she was stressed, and the presence of Jack was never a good thing.

As Sharon gave him a small smile in thanks, he glared at Provenza who was doing a whipping motion from behind her back. He gestured with his hands to knock it off, but Provenza just smiled and kept doing it as she walked into her office and shut the door. Andy just shook his head in disgust and turned back to his computer, although he wanted nothing more than to be a fly on the wall in her office. He wished he could see Jack's smug grin wiped from his face as Sharon told him what they had done. As he switched to another tab on his computer, he was interrupted by a loud voice from behind him, "You did what?!"

His smile faded into a frown as he turned in his seat to watch as Jack stood up and leaned over her desk, his finger pointing as he spoke in a quieter voice much too close to Sharon's face. Andy stood up to intervene, but Sharon waved him down, never breaking eye contact with the bastard in front of her. Jack stayed that way for at least another minute, then turned, gathered his things and stormed out of her office and the murder room before any of them could get a parting shot in. Too bad. Andy was surprised that Jack never even looked his way as he left.

He watched as Sharon rubbed the bridge of her nose with two fingers, then stood up before he could talk himself out of it. He knocked lightly on her open door and waited for her to look up. "Come in, Andy," she said tiredly.

He closed the door, then walked in and sat himself down in the chair that Jack had just vacated. "Are you OK?" It really shouldn't be his business, but now that they were married, it was. She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. He just said some...not so nice things. The good news is that he has no choice but to inform the family that he can't charge me with murder. The bad news is that I'm most likely in more danger now." Andy sat forward in his seat. "Maybe you should come stay with me until we can get a place. You're going to need a police esco-"

She stopped him with a raised hand. "I'm not going to have police officers following me around for the next...who knows how long. I'm not going to live my life in fear, Andy. I'll just have to be extra cautious. They know they can't do anything to me right now because they'll be the prime suspects. They don't want the police digging around in their affairs."

She could tell he didn't agree with her, but she was _not_ going to go into the WPP and she still needed time to think over her options regarding Andy. He shook his head. "Fine, but I still think you should come stay with me." Sharon smiled. His over protectiveness was sometimes annoying, but right now it was endearing. He only had her safety in mind. "I need to give Rusty a few more days to get used to the idea before I uproot his life. We'll be fine."

He sat back and ran a hand over his face in defeat. "I don't like it, but it's your choice." She gave him a closed mouth smile and tried not to notice how good he looked in his light blue shirt and black suspenders. She needed a distraction. "Do we have any new leads on the Anderson murder?" Andy shook his head and sighed in frustration. "Not really, we just started doing background checks on the people closest to Cindy. So far, nothing."

She nodded, "I need to finish some paperwork. Keep digging." Taking that as a dismissal, he stood, but instead of walking towards her door, he stepped closer to her desk and leaned over it so he could see her up close. "What did Jack say to you?" He could see the bags under her eyes, even with the carefully applied makeup. She kept her eyes on her paperwork in front of her and picked up her pen. "Nothing you want to hear."

He reached forward and touched her hand lightly before pulling away, his new wedding ring glinting in the sunlight coming from the window behind her. "Tell me." She dropped her pen and looked up at him. "He called me a few choice names, then told me he was going to find a way to charge me. Prove that our marriage isn't legitimate." She closed her eyes momentarily, then opened them and looked at him again. "Over thirty years of marriage and two kids with him and he still treats me like the dirt on the bottom of his shoe. It shouldn't surprise me, but it does. I don't know why I let him get to me." She fought back the sudden tears that threatened.

Andy straightened, his hands forming tight fists as he tried to tamp down the sudden fury that threatened to overwhelm him. That son of a bitch. It took all he could do not to walk out of her office and track him down and beat his face in. "Andy... _Andy_." He finally looked at her, his eyes giving away how angry he was. "It's not worth it. _He's_ not worth it." She reached forward and grabbed one of his fists, then smoothed it out so it was hanging limply in her hand. She didn't let go as she tugged it lightly to get him to continue listening. "He's not going to be able to charge me. I'm used to the name calling and posturing, and it's not your job to protect me from him. I can do that myself."

He took a deep breath, some of the anger slowly fading from his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'll just.." He gestured behind him with his free hand, then squeezed her hand briefly with his other before pulling it out of her grasp. "I'll get back to working the Anderson case. Excuse me." He turned and walked out without another word. She could tell by how rigid he held himself that he was still angry, but she was confident that he would work that out soon enough. She didn't really understand why he was so angry or why he cared so much. It's not like he was her boyfriend trying to protect her. Yes, they were married, but they didn't have a real marriage.

She sighed and tried to concentrate on her paperwork, but she kept glancing over at Andy who was sitting on his desk, tying a little too hard on his keyboard. She smiled a little and shook her head. Married one day and he was already acting like an over-protective husband. How was he going to be when he really got to know her?

* * *

Please let me know what you think! I need feeback on this one. Thank you for reading! (I'm definitely going to try to get the next chapter out faster)


	3. Chapter 3

They spent the rest of the day working on the Anderson murder with no progress made. The entire team was frustrated, especially Sharon. There was something that was bothering her about this specific case, but she couldn't quite place what it was. Maybe she was allowing what Jack had threatened her with to color her thoughts, but she didn't think that's what it was.

Cindy had been a single woman in her fifties who worked at a supermarket, had three grandchildren, and no known enemies. Yet she'd been murdered. Nothing had been stolen, so it wasn't a robbery, and she had never even been pulled over for a traffic violation. Why would somebody murder this poor woman in cold blood?

Sharon sighed heavily and sat back in her chair. She'd been bent over files all day and her back and neck were killing her. She glanced at her watch and saw that it was well past time for them to go home, but everyone seemed dedicated to find the motive and the murderer of Cindy Anderson. She glanced over at Andy and smiled when she saw that he had his chin in his hand and was slowly clicking through something on his computer. His anger seemingly gone judging by his body language. That's what she lov...liked so much about the man. He was quick to temper, insanely protective of his friends and loved ones, and didn't often think things through before acting out, yet he didn't let things stew for very long before letting them go when he knew there was nothing he could do about it. He knew she could take care of herself when it came to most things, especially Jackson Raydor.

She watched as he sat up straighter and rolled his neck and shoulders before glancing at his watch. It was well past ten, and by the looks of it, the rest of her team were flagging as well. She stood and grabbed her blazer off the back of her chair, then gathered her other belongings and walked out of her office. "OK everyone, time to go home. We'll get back to this tomorrow when we've all had a chance to sleep and get something to eat."

Everyone nodded and bade her goodnight as they made a quick exit. Everyone except Andy. He stood and stretched his back as he picked up his own suit coat and slid it on. "You wanna get a bite to eat?"

She bit back a yawn and gave him a small closed-mouthed smile. Sleep is really what she wanted. "I'm a little tired. Rain check?"

He smiled back and nodded. "Fine by me. I think I'm ready to hit the hay anyway. Can I at least walk you to your car?"

She really wanted him to just stay at her house since he had at least another forty minute drive to his own house, and because they planned on getting an early start in the morning. She could tell he was exhausted, but she wasn't really sure how to ask him. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea, yet a little voice in the back of her mind told her that she really _did_ want him to think she meant something differently. What the hell was wrong with her? Just because they were married didn't mean she got to have these inappropriate thoughts about him. Especially since he wasn't interested in her that way. He married her to protect her. That was it.

Andy interrupted her thoughts with a hand on her shoulder. "Sharon..um..are you OK? You looked a little upset there for a minute."

She cleared her throat and patted his hand that was still on her shoulder. "I'm fine." She paused, working up the courage to just get out what she wanted to ask him. "So..you still have another forty minutes or so until you get home, correct?"

He gave her an uncertain smile, his eyebrows narrowing a bit in confusion. "You know I do."

She rolled her eyes internally. She was being such a baby. She needed to channel her "Darth" side and just get it out. "The reason I ask is because I was wondering if you just wanted to sleep at my place tonight."

At his surprised look, she hastily continued. "We just plan on getting an early start and you're not going to get much sleep as it is. My couch is pretty comfortable, or I can get Rusty to sleep on the couch and you can take his bed for the night."

He rubbed his neck, uncertainty in his eyes. "Are you sure? I don't want to impose."

"Of course. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't mean it." She smiled at him, relieved that he hadn't been appalled at the idea.

He smiled back and shrugged. "Sure, why not. I'm perfectly fine with sleeping on the couch. No need to uproot the kid from his room."

They stood there smiling at each other like a pair of idiots for countless seconds until they were interrupted by the night janitor clearing his throat. "Um..you done here or do I need to come back?"

They turned simultaneously in surprise; Andy found his voice before she did. "We were just leaving. It's all yours."

The janitor nodded with a bored look on his face and walked away from them towards the back of the Major Crimes floor.

Andy just shrugged a shoulder at Sharon with a smirk and said, "I'll drive", then lightly put his hand on her lower back to steer her towards the exit. Even though his hand was barely touching her clothed back, her skin felt hot where it hovered. What was wrong with her?

XXX

When they finally reached Sharon's apartment, she was dead on her feet. She hadn't had a good night's sleep in three or four days and she was really feeling it. Her body ached, her head felt heavy, and her legs felt like lead weights. By the time they made it into the elevator she was leaning into him so much that he had thrown an arm around her waist just to steady her.

They walked down the hallway towards her door much the same way. Neither of them chose to comment on their closeness, although she found she didn't mind a bit that he was touching her the way he was. In fact, she didn't want him to stop.

She rooted around in her purse for her keys, found them and stuck the house key in the lock. She stumbled as she pulled him through the door, and couldn't stop the small giggle that erupted as she almost fell. Only Andy grabbing her arm stopped her from falling flat on her face.

Rusty looked up from his seat on the couch and groaned as Andy pulled her upright. "Are you drunk? Seriously?"

Andy kept a hand around her bicep as he scowled at Rusty. "Of course not. Sharon's just a little punch drunk."

At his confused look, Andy waved his free hand in annoyance. "You know, tired. She's exhausted."

Rusty sighed and closed his laptop. "I'm going to bed." Let the weird old people do what they wanted. He just lived there.

Rolling his eyes, Andy turned Sharon around and led her to her room. She let him help her to her bed, then laid back and let out a small sigh. She didn't even have the energy to change into night clothes. All she wanted to do was curl up under the covers and sleep for hours without interruption.

Andy bent and grabbed one of her feet and slipped her heel off, then did the same with the other. She spread her arms out and sighed. Her eyes were already falling closed, even with her feet hanging over the end of the mattress. She didn't have much motivation to keep them open either.

"Sharon." She waved her hand in his general direction while keeping her eyes closed.

"Thanksss Anddy. G'nigh'." She heard him snort, but then nothing else as she let herself drift off completely.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but she was awakened by someone jostling her body. She opened her eyes to slits and watched as Andy pulled her up the mattress and slid her legs under the covers. She was still dressed in her work clothes, although she was almost sure he didn't dare do anything about that. After he managed to maneuver her and pull the blankets up to her chest, he smoothed her hair away from her face, then whispered, "Night, Sharon."

She watched as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked out of her room slowly, turning the light off as he crossed the threshold of her bedroom. She could tell he was concerned about her, which warmed her belly more than she wanted to admit. She sighed and settled back into her pillow, figuring that he would be able to find any sheets or blankets he needed in the hall closet. She wasn't being a good host or wife or whatever, but she fell into the comforting arms of sleep before she could worry too much about that.

XXX

"Sharon. Wake up." Someone was shaking her shoulder lightly, but she didn't want to wake up. She tried to roll over, but hands grabbed both of her shoulders and shook her a little harder. "Sharon, we have a body."

She moaned quietly and managed to open her eyes a little. They felt like sandpaper.

Andy had turned on her bedside lamp to its lowest setting and was sitting on the bed by her hip. He gave her small smile and waited for her to wake up completely. Once she managed to open her eyes all the way, she ran a hand over her face tiredly and hid a yawn behind the back of her other hand. "What time is it?" She mumbled.

He stood up and looked down at her. He was still dressed in his suit pants, but had taken his dress shirt and tie off, leaving him in only a white undershirt. He looked entirely too attractive. "Around two. We've only been asleep for a few hours."

She sat up and looked down at herself wearily. She was a mess. "Do I have time to take a quick shower?"

He shook his head and began to back out of her room. He seemed uncomfortable, which she couldn't really blame him for. They weren't exactly on solid ground when it came to knowing what they were to each other, and he was standing in her personal space. "I don't think so. Its been about fifteen minutes since he called. He was already at the crime scene. Oh, and he was about as grumpy as ever." He grinned and watched as she reached over and grabbed her glasses from the bedside table and slid them on. He was almost out the door. "I'm gonna get dressed. I should be ready in five."

She nodded and swung her legs around to set them on the floor as he shut the door behind him. She felt a little better than a few hours before, but nowhere near where she could have been with a good night's sleep.

Oh well, such was the life of a police officer. She stood up and trudged into her bathroom. Now to do something with her hair.

XXX

They rode together to the crime scene since she had left her car in the parking garage down at the station. They managed to make it about forty-five minutes after the first call, but she knew Provenza was still going to be annoyed.

As they approached him, he spread his arms wide with a sarcastic grin on his face. "Now, there's the happy couple. Sorry to interrupt the honeymoon, but you know.." He gestured behind him, "...body and all."

Andy gritted his teeth. "Save it, Provenza."

Sharon laid a hand lightly on his arm to stop him and stepped forward. "Lieutenant, I don't want to hear you or anyone else comment on our personal lives at a crime scene ever again. It's not anyone's business but my own and Andy's. Understood?"

Provenza grumbled under his breath, but nodded all the same.

She smiled, "Now that we have that out of the way, what do we have?"

He motioned for them to follow as he explained. "We have an African-American woman, age fifty eight. Name is Dana Jones. Murdered inside her home. Lives alone, so no witnesses. Her neighbor called the police last night because he was worried that he hadn't seen her for a while. The case was transferred to us when Uniforms realized that she didn't die of natural causes. It took them long enough," he mumbled.

He paused when they stepped inside her home and slipped the protective booties on their shoes, then continued, "We checked her record. She's clean. This MO is sounding awfully familiar, Captain."

She nodded in agreement and grimaced when they stopped at the body. She hoped to heaven that they didn't have another serial killer on their hands. "How did she die, Kendall?"

The ME looked up with a resigned look on his face. "Just like the other one, Captain. She was strangled. No other signs of physical trauma." He sighed and continued, "I hate to say it, but I'm pretty certain this woman was killed by the same person as the other victim. Everything is the same, down to the age and victim type."

Sharon suspected as much, unfortunately. "Let's get this crime scene wrapped up. If it's anything like the other one, we won't find anything, and there won't be anything missing from the home."

Andy stepped forward and looked at her. "You want to ride with me downtown or do you want me to leave my car for you and I'll ride with Provenza?"

She looked up to see that everyone around them was listening in on their conversation. She knew they would take it the wrong way and assume things that weren't true. She also knew that their names had been drug through the rumor mill for the last couple of days. She could only imagine what people were saying.

She pulled Andy away from the group and held onto his wrist. "I'll go with you. I don't think there's much left to do here. I'll let Provenza finish up since he's so happy to be here."

Andy snorted and hooked his thumb behind him. "I'll be waiting in the car.

She watched him walk away, then turned back towards the group, biting back a smile when they all nonchalantly looked in different directions. She couldn't wait until her marriage to the Lieutenant was old news.

"Provenza, I want you to finish up here. Make sure things are done the right way. We don't want the killer getting off on a technicality once we catch him."

Provenza nodded and said something under his breath as he walked away. She imagined he was complaining about Andy not having to stay and help, but he would get over it. As a woman not too far out of her 50s, she wasn't exactly feeling safe at the moment.

She _did_ need to have a conversation with Andy soon about their conduct in the work place. She couldn't show any preferential treatment. Even though they weren't actually in a real marriage. She could feel a headache coming on right behind her eyes. This "marriage" thing was stressful, not even counting having to deal with Jack and the mob. That was easy compared to all the complicated feelings she had for Andy and her confusing need to be near him.

Now add in a potential serial killer and it was just a damn mess.

XXX

Royce Archer smiled as he watched the crime scene from a safe distance. He could tell the detectives were frustrated. The women he chose to kill were random, the only similarity were their ages. It was going to be a lot harder for them to catch him since he didn't have personal ties to either of them.

His blood boiled when he remembered how society had treated his poor, middle-aged mother. No one had given a shit about her as she slowly wasted away from lung cancer. He couldn't even afford a funeral.

So this was him getting his revenge. Screw everyone else. He didn't care anymore.

His eyes tracked an older, beautiful brunette with interest as she stepped into a police car with a gray-haired man and drove away.

She was perfect.

XXX

Sharon yawned again as she sat tiredly at her desk. Her team had been working for at least seven or eight hours straight on this case, but once again, they weren't any closer to finding the killer. There weren't any connections between the two victims. Not one overlapping friend or acquaintance. They were all at the end of their ropes.

She looked up just in time to see Jack stride in with a smirk on his face. He knocked on her door before any of her team could stop him, and she reluctantly waved him in. "Jack, what do you want?"

"Hey, Sha _Ron_. Rough morning?"

She sat back and folded her arms. "Why are you here?"

He smirked again and slapped a folder down in front of her. "This is an official request for a dissolution of marriage. I'll be filing it with the judge today, but I thought I would give you a heads up first."

She stared at it, her fists clenching under her desk. "Do you want me to go to prison?" She looked up at him coldly. "I could even be put on death row for this. Is money so important to you that you'd throw someone you used to love under the bus?"

He laughed. "Sharon, Sharon, Sharon. You don't get it do you?"

"Get what, Jack?" She stood and leaned across the desk so she was only a foot from his face.

"Of course money is important to me. And my life. Anyway, have a good day. I'll probably be seeing you in court soon."

She glared at his back as he walked away without another glance in her direction. Sometimes she really hated him. Today was one of those days.

Andy knocked on the door closest to his desk and walked in without permission. She wasn't in the mood to fight with Andy too. "What did that bozo want?"

She shook her head and sat back down. "He was just letting me know that he's filing a motion to have our marriage terminated."

Andy shook his head and stepped closer. "It won't happen, Sharon."

She looked up, her eyes radiating hurt. "You don't know that. No one knows for sure what's going to happen."

He stepped around her desk and leaned against it with folded arms. "You're right, but you can't live your life in fear. You'll get through this. _We'll_ get through this together. I'm in your corner."

She smiled with watery eyes. His support meant more to her than he knew.

She reached forward and laid a hand on his thigh. No one in the Murder Room could see what she was doing, and frankly, she didn't care at the moment. She would draw her lines with him tomorrow. She needed him today. "Thank you, Andy. You're right, and we have other things to worry about right now."

He put his hand over hers and squeezed her fingers lightly before standing and pulling her out of her chair. "Yep. Now come on, we have something to show you."

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate all your support, it really means so much. Please let me know what you think. :)

Oh and FYI, I _hate_ the word "giggle". I only put it in there because it made sense. I'm sorry. I really am. ;)


End file.
